Crate.



No. 764,945. PATENTED JULY 12, 1904. J. S. HORTON.

CRATE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 31. 1904.

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, v 8) WW No. 764,945,. PATENTED JULY 12, 1904. J. S. HORTON; CRATE.

APPLICATION rmm MAB. 31, 1904. no noun. 2 sums-sum z.

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WITNESSES: [NI/11170 C. LMAAMAR up, ]0]z n-w forfoiv Patented July 12,1904.

JOHN SEYMOUR HORTON, OF LINCOLN, DELAWVARE.

CRATEi SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 764,945, datedJuly 12, 1904.

Application filed March 31, 1904.

To. all whom it may concern:-

Be it known that 1, JOHN SEYMOUR HORTON, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Lincoln, in the county of Sussex and State ofDelaware, have invented a new and Improved Grate, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description' This invention relates to acrate intended especially for the transportation of fruit, but useful invarious other connections, as will be apparent.

1n the transportation of fruit as now generally practiced, andparticularly in the transportation of peaches, it has been foundnecessary to fit up a freight-car with rows of shelves to containbaskets of fruit in such a way as to prevent the fruit from beingbruised by the pressure of one package against the other. This practiceis expensive to the railroad and to the shipper, and the principalobject of my invention is to provide a crate in which fruit may bepacked and shipped without involving the above-referred-to expense.

It is also an object of my invention to give the crate sufficientstrength to enable the crates to be piled one on the other and to soform the crates as to allow for an unrestrained circulation of airthrough and between them, thus keeping the fruit in proper conditionduring the transportation thereof.

To these ends the inventionconsists in certain peculiar features ofconstruction which will be hereinafter fully set forth.

This specification is an exact description of one form of my invention,while the claims define the precise scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the, accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference inclicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the crate and illustrating thetop thereof raised above the body of the crate. Fig. 2 is an endelevation of the crate. Fig. 3 is a side elevation indicating by brokenlines the position of the crate above when two crates are superimposed.Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views showing .the manner of joining theparts of the end frame of the crate. Fig. 6

is a detail section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2,

Serial No. 200,898- (N0 model.)

fastened to the inner sides of the side members b of the end frames andthe bottom slats I f being fastened to the under sides of the bottommembers of the end frames. Cleats g are fastened to the under sides ofthe bottom slats f by nails, screws, or other equivalent fasteningmeans, which are passed through the cleats g and bottom slats f upwardinto the bottom sections a of the end frames. If desired, diagonalbraces 7L may be employed further to strengthen the ends of the crate.

The top of the crate comprises longitudinal slats c1, and at each endthe top is provided with two cross-bars is and Z, the bars Z beingarranged on' the upper sides of the slats and the bars 76 on'the undersides and the whole being fastened together in any desired manner" Thetop is adapted to lie over the crate with the slats 2' resting on theupper crossbars a of the'end frames of the crate-body and with the barsk lying, respectively, outside of the upper bars or sections a of theends of the crate-body. This is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Anysuitable means may be employed for fastening the top in place,

one of the several devices used for this purpose being a wire or othermetallic staple fastened to the under sides of the upper bars a of theends of the crate-body and to the bars or Z of the top.

With respect to this invention it will be seen, particularly byreference to Fig. 3, that the crates may be piled one on the other withgreat convenience and that when so arranged they will not be liable toslide out of position, owing to the tilting or jostling of the vehiclein which they may be placed. WVhen the crates are so superimposed, thebottom cleats g of the upper crate rest on the end portions of the topslats a inside of the respective bars Z, and in this manncn slidingmovement of the upper crate is prevented. Further, it will be seen thatbythe arrangement of the bottom cleats g and by the peculiar manner ofjoining the parts a and Z) of the end frames of the crate-body a freeand unrestrained circulation of air is allowed around all sides andthrough the crates, 'thus keeping the fruit cool and preserving itsproper condition.

Various changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of theinvention may be resorted to at will without departing from the spiritof the invention. Hence I consider myself entitled to all suchvariations thereof as may lie within the scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, Iclaim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A crate, consisting of a body comprising endframes each formed of top, bottom and end bars united by double tenonmortise joints and slats secured to the inner faces of the top andbottom bars, side and bottom slats connecting the said frames, the sideslats being secured to the inner faces of the end bars and the bottomslats to the under face of the bottom bars of said frames, and cleatssecured to the under side of the bottom slats below the bottom bars ofthe frames, and a cover formed of longitudinal slats and cross-barssecured on the upper and lower sides of the slats at the ends thereof,the slats resting upon the top bars of the end frames of the body andthe bars on the under side of the slats against the outer faces of thetop bars of said end frames, substantially as herein shown anddescribed.

2. A crate, consisting of a body formed of end frames having their slatssecured to the inner faces of the top and bottom bars and connected byside and bottom slats, the side slats being secured to the inner facesof the end bars of the frames and the bottom slats to the under side ofthe bottom bars of said frames, cleats being secured to the under sideof the bottom slats below the bottom bars of the frames, and a coverformed of longitudinal slats and bars secured upon the upper and lowerfaces of the slats at the ends thereof, the slats of the cover lyingupon the top bars of the end frames of the body and the bars on theunder side of the slats against the outer faces of the top bars of saidend frames, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN SEYMOUR HORTON.

Witnesses:

LAURA TATWAN, CHARLES G. FISHER.

